Marrickville Library

Redefining Space and Community: Marrickville Library’s Luxurious Evolution with BVN

In the heart of New South Wales lies a beacon of change on Marrickville Road, Sydney’s Inner West — a revitalised monument to architecture that speaks to the present and pays homage to the past. The Marrickville Library, a luxurious synthesis of heritage and modernity, is the brainchild of BVN, a firm celebrated for its progressive vision and collaborative spirit.

Positioned on the historic grounds of the old Marrickville Hospital, the Marrickville Library isn’t just a space to read. It’s a testament to the power of transformation. Its design journey began as a community-driven vision, an aspiration that led to BVN being chosen to deliver an architectural masterpiece after an invitational design competition.

One can’t help but marvel at the library’s expansive floating canopy roof, which echoes the pitched roof of the old hospital building. Underneath, lush sunken lawns and towering timber columns craft a dramatic welcome, creating an icon that has already secured its place in the community’s heart.

The interiors are a grandeur spectacle, bathed in sunlight, with wide double and triple-height spaces exuding warmth and openness. The heart of the library features a large timber auditorium stair — a space for readers to revel in, surrounded by an aura of elevated luxury.

Nestled amidst the library’s vast expanses and architectural wonders are the LEN’s Softscape Lounges. These Australian-made lounges are more than mere seating solutions; they are art forms in their own right, designed to complement the luxurious setting. The Softscape Lounge embodies the need for intimate and collaborative spaces within a vast architectural expanse. It invites visitors to relax, communicate, and engage in a softer and more intuitive environment. As part of the broader Softscape collection, these Australian-made lounges bring adaptability and elegance, harmoniously blending with the surroundings.

Furthermore, the essence of these Australian-made lounges lies in their core benefits. They are mobile, modular, and can be easily reconfigured, echoing BVN’s emphasis on flexibility and adaptability. Designed for contemporary work environments, these Australian-made lounges underscore the importance of individual well-being and team synergy, becoming a centrepiece of the library’s architectural landscape. These Softscape Lounges, in grey and off-white, can be found near the entrance of the library in front of the grand staircase, waiting for anyone to experience its comfort and elegance.

The Marrickville Library is an ode to adaptive reuse. BVN, with its foresight, has retained and refurbished many of the original features of the 1897 Marrickville Hospital. The old veranda, now restored, serves as an outdoor reading area, capturing the essence of times gone by. A suspended glazed walkway connects the new library floors to the old hospital building, allowing visitors to transition seamlessly between the modern and the historic.

It’s a dialogue between eras — juxtaposing the brutalist architectural past with a modern, community-centric design, which BVN has crafted to perfection.

BVN’s approach to the Marrickville Library has been unyielding in its commitment to sustainability. The bricks from demolished structures have been recycled and reused, paying homage to the site’s historical significance as brick pits. Alongside this, natural ventilation, rainwater tanks, and other sustainable measures ensure the library stands as a model for environmentally conscious design.

With its grandeur and vision, the Marrickville Library sets a benchmark for future public spaces.
It captures the community’s soul, offers a nod to its past, and presents a vision for the future — all while beautifully incorporating designer elements like the Softscape’s Australian-made lounges. BVN’s transformative design redefines luxury and underscores the importance of spaces that bring communities together in the most refined manner. As visitors find solace in the Softscape Lounges or wander the historical corridors, they partake in a journey that is as much about architectural brilliance as it is about shared memories and collective aspirations.

To learn more about Softscape, please speak to one of our team, or contact our distribution partner for Australia at Stylecraft. For all international enquiries, please get in touch with us at info@lenfurniture.com.